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Tank Car Corporation of America

All POLREP's for this site Tank Car Corporation of America
Oreland, PA - EPA Region III
POLREP #35 - Feb 7-13
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On-Scene Coordinator - Myles Bartos, On-Scene Coordinator 2/15/2011
Time-Critical - Removal Action Pollution Report (POLREP) #35
Start Date: 1/29/2007
Pollution Report (POLREP) #35
Site Description
See previous POLREPS for Site description information.  

A summary of the removal site evaluation (characterization) conducted is contained in the document "Summary of Removal Site Evaluation Analytical Data", dated February 2, 2010, posted to the web at www.epaosc.org/tcca.  In general, the Site contains inorganic and organic contamination of soil (primarily sandblasting grit) and shallow underground water (contaminated by former lagoon contents and tank releases).  Additionally, the Site's ground water and surface water exiting the TCCA property contains detectable concentrations of Site-related contamination.  Finally, samples collected from residential properties adjacent to the Site and from dirt alongside the roadways leading from the Site contain detectable concentrations of inorganic and/or organic contaminants attributable to the Site.  

The TCCA Site contains a large amount of sandblasting grit contaminated by inorganic contamination (e.g., lead) and organic contamination (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)).  The Site formerly contained lagoons; the residuals in these lagoons contain high concentrations of organic contaminants such as benzene, naphthalene, and PAHs and these contaminants have entered into the subsurface soils and shallow underground water.  

The Site property continues to be used by numerous businesses for storage of equipment and materials.  

Based upon the analytical results of the samples collected during the removal site evaluation and an evaluation of the potential threats posed by the hazardous substance contamination at the Site, EPA Region III approved additional funding to conduct additional response actions at the Site. The total funding now available for response actions is $2,650,469.  The response action will generally include actions intended to consolidate onto the TCCA property those hazardous substances posing a threat which have migrated from the property and to minimize further release of hazardous substances from the Site through a combination of disposal and covering actions.

After obtaining formal access to the railroad property adjacent to the TCCA property, EPA re-initiated the response action at the Site.  Initial actions focused on characterizing the contaminants upon the railroad right of way, evaluating drainage from the TCCA property, evaluating details of the pending response action (such as erosion controls), and coordinating with the Site owner, users of the property, and State and Local government entities.  The OSC informed adjacent residents of the general nature of the pending response action and then re-initiated response activities on October 19, 2010.

A Time Critical Removal Action is ongoing and current activities are described in the next sections.


Current Activities
ERRS continued work in the large lagoon including removal and shipment of waste for proper disposal, and backfilling of the excavated area.   Approximately half of the footprint of large lagoon has been excavated, specifically the eastern edge and northeastern corner.  

A total of 146 loads of non-hazardous large lagoon waste, with the approximate weight of 3,446 tons were trucked offsite for disposal at the Clean Earth facility in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. (Indian Valley and Rick Gower are the hauling companies). Approximately 4,292 tons of non-hazardous large lagoon waste has been disposed off to date.  

Air monitoring was conducted several times a day around the Site perimeter, while some odors were present during the excavations and truck loading; air monitoring equipment indicated that no volatile organic compounds above the Site specific action level of 1 part per million.  No visible dusts were generated from the truck loading procedure. Air monitoring will continue to be conducted throughout the workday along the eastern fence line and along Walnut Ave. (See "Air Monitoring Plan" in "documents" section of the website)

A representative from Stablex, the disposal facilty for the RCRA hazardous waste,  was on Site on 2/7/11 to collect a sample of the small lagoon waste material. A test pit was dug in the northern end of the small lagoon, down to the waste layer, where samples were collected. These additional samples are needed to fulfill Stablex’s analytical requirements as per their permit(s).

A limited ERRS crew worked on Saturday, 2/12/11.  They cleared waste from the northern edge of the large lagoon, backfilled the excavation, prepped the waste load out pile.  Due to the anticipated warm Sunday weather, the waste pile was covered with poly sheeting to control odors.  

EPA began the process of terminating the unilateral order with SEPTA for work along the right of way.  This work was completed in December 2010 and the order is no longer needed at this time.


Planned Removal Actions
After removal of the lagoon waste material, the area will be backfilled with the staged sand.  The areas will be filled to approximately 1 foot below original grade.  A marker fence (orange plastic fence or equivalent)  will be installed and then capped with a minimum of 1 foot of clean clay and an additional layer of stone material to protect the cap.

At or near the completion of the large lagoon work, removal of sand on the small lagoon will commence.  


 
Disposition Of Wastes


Waste Stream Quantity Manifest # Disposal Facility
Hazardous Waste Liquids (USTs) 13,330 gallons various Republic Environmental Hatfield, PA
Hazardous Waste Liquids (AST-2) 14,011 gallons various Republic Environmental Hatfield, PA
Non Hazardous Liquids (AST-1) 14,590 gallons various Republic Environmental Hatfield, PA
Non Hazardous Solids (AST-4) 31840 pounds 552437 Republic Environmental Hatfield, PA
Non Hazardous Liquids (Ammonia)(AST-5) 7518 gallons various Vickery Environmental, Vickery, OH
Hazardous Waste Solids (USTs) 387 tons (est) various CasieEcology, Vineland, NJ
Hazardous Waste Liquids (UST-4) 8356 gallons various Giant Resource Recovery, Sumter, SC
Hazardous Waste Solids (UST-4) 25,632 pounds 004352265 Green America Recycling, Hannibal, MO
Hazardous Waste Debris (UST-4) 1500 pounds 004352265 Waste Management, Emelle, AL
Flammable Liquids(drums) 165 gallons 004352265 Ross Incineration, Grafton,OH
Flammable solids 300 pounds (est) 004352265 BuzziUnicem, Cape Girardeau, MO
Phosphoric Acid 55 gallons 004352265 WastePath, Calvert City, KY
Non Hazardous Liquids (drums) 140 gallons 004352265 WastePath, Calvert City, KY
Non Hazardous Soil (around UST-4) 209.42 tons various Commonwealth Environmental, Hegins, PA
Waste Fuel 760 gallons 77436 Enviromental Recovery Corp., Lancaster, PA
Non Hazardous solids (UST residue from scrapping ops) 300 pounds 001 Modern Landfill,York,PA
Non Hazardous Construction Debris approx 512 tons various Minerva Enterprises
Non Hazardous solids (large lagoon) approx 846 tons various Clean Earth, Morrisville, PA
Non Hazardous solids (small lagoon) various
Hazardous solids (small lagoon) various
Non Hazardous solids (sands) various